


Studio Love

by Stebeans



Series: Live Action Actor AU [1]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: And Follows the Story of the "Real Life" Actors that Play Adora and Catra, And a potty mouth, Co-stars to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Inspired by Fanart, Live Action Actor AU where She-ra is a Live Action TV Show, Maya (Catra) is a Nerd, Other, Secret Relationship, Slow Burn, Taylor (Adora) is a Big Grump, With Multiple Piercings, live action au, they don't get along at first
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:28:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25060003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stebeans/pseuds/Stebeans
Summary: Inspired by the cutest fanart and concept by @sunzho and @hey_adora on Instagram, give them all the love!The #cayaactorau is a concept where we follow Maya Sanchez and Taylor Cruz, the actresses of Catra and Adora of the popular live action tv show She-ra and the Princesses of Power, as they are cast in the biggest role of their careers.They don't exactly start on the right foot and soon find themselves under media scrutiny, top romantic subjects for a passionate fandom, and fodder for celebrity gossip...so you know, all typical things for a Hollywood actor.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Series: Live Action Actor AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1815019
Comments: 80
Kudos: 269





	1. First Meeting/Auditions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maya gets bullied and rescued by a non-stereotypical white girl actress. She's actually quite the badass with multiple piercings and a death glare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This work is inspired by cutest fanart and concept by @sunzho and @hey_adora, the original creators of this Actor AU, on Instagram. Please follow them and shower them with love and thanks! You can find this She-ra Live Action AU dubbed #cayaactorau at the following link: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/cayaactorau/
> 
> Please note that I had changed the name that @sunzho and @hey_adora had came up for Adora's actress from Claire to Taylor. I mean no disrespect but long story short I have had a bad history with a Claire in my life and it personally felt odd to write about a character with the same name...please forgive me!
> 
> Anyways, I have a few headcanons for this AU as well so I hope you'll enjoy this series of snippets from this adorable AU.
> 
> CAST LIST (so far):  
> Maya Sanchez as Catra  
> Taylor Cruz as Adora/She-ra  
> Jessica Cho as Glimmer  
> Marcus Patterson as Bow

Maya glanced around the waiting room, her fingers playing with the worn and crumpled script in her hands. This was the first time she was auditioning for a part larger than the “background Latino girl” of a typical low-budget high school movie and to say she was nervous would be an understatement. Her agent had mentioned that the showrunners were open minded and there wasn’t any clear restrictions on the lead character but despite that, the waiting room was filled with the stereotypical tall, thin, blonde and ridiculously hot actresses that seemed to be overrun in LA. Seriously, what was in the water? It was clear as day that Maya stood out like a sore thumb with her dark skin, darker hair, with freckles that sprinkled across her cheeks and who stood at five-foot three inches on a good day.

Her mom had use to accompany her through many of her auditions, kind and supportive and not at all like the overbearing mothers she had come across in her earlier days when she was just a teen trying to break into show business. When she had hit seventeen she had finally convinced her mom that she was old enough to venture to auditions on her own. Her brothers, all older than she was, needed more supervision than a tub of ice cream on a hot summer day. Now she wished for her mom’s calming presence.

“Do you mind?” The aspiring actress next to her snapped, eyes narrowing at the way Maya had been unconsciously bouncing her leg in a staccato rhythm.

Immediately freezing, Maya shot her a sheepish look. “Sorry.” She apologized, wringing the script in her hands into a roll. “Just a little nervous I guess.”

“Yeah, no shit.” The blonde rolled her eyes before turning into her seat that put her back to Maya, effectively closing Maya off to the conversation she was having with the person on the other side.

Heat rose up Maya’s neck, across her cheeks and even up to her ears. Embarrassed, Maya’s eyes shot down to her lap where she smoothed out the script for the hundredth time. The cover page – white, crisp text and simple as was the industry standard— read:

**SHE-RA REBOOT**

written by

Noelle Stevenson

based on the series

She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985)

Honestly, Maya had never even heard of She-ra, didn’t have a clue what it was all about besides concluding that She-ra was indeed a person. A heroine actually. Plot, characters, villains were still a mystery as it was way before her time. Her three older brothers, the youngest was five years older than her, had teased her relentlessly as brothers do prior to the audition. They had puffed out their chest, calling out for He-man before striking obnoxious power poses and pitching their voices to imitate a ridiculous feline accent that more often than not, was interjected with an annoying “ _meow_ ”. Ugh, if the reboot was anything like how her brothers pitched it, maybe it wouldn’t be too awful if she was passed up. Not that the images that popped up when she had done a quick google search was very impressing either. Too much skin, not enough clothes, and that was for both sexes…species…whatever! What _was_ this show even about?

Now she was even more nervous for different reasons. She couldn’t even imagine herself being so exposed with the lack of fabric the costumes required. Pulling the sleeves of her over-sized hoodie over her fingers, Maya resisted the urge to bounce her leg again lest the blonde turn back around and give her a black eye. Nope. Black eyes were definitely not a good look when trying to land a role. 

The door to the small waiting room the actresses had been herded into swung open with a bang, bouncing off the door stop and nearly pulling the door off its hinges. Another blonde walked through and unlike the other blondes in the room, Maya couldn’t tell if she was a staff member or an actress. Besides the blue-eyed, blonde haired look almost all the girls in the room were sporting this one was different from the rest. She looked…hard, rough around the edges. Her blue eyes cut through the room, lingering on Maya for a brief second before finding nothing of interest. She blew out a bubble with her pink gum as she weaved her way through the room, slightly hunched over with her hands buried deep in her black leather jacket. The girl had three too many piercing deemed respectable in Hollywood and Maya wouldn’t be surprised if she had other…non-visible piercings or tattoos for that matter.

The girl’s entrance had captured the majority of the room’s attention. Conversations and idle chatter had quieted as everyone watched her sign in at the check-in station. “Seriously?” The bitch next to Maya muttered in disbelief. “Her?”

No one had bothered to comment as the girl strolled up to where they were seated, her eyes cutting to Maya’s before raising a perfectly pierced eyebrow at her. Gulping, Maya tilted her head up in confusion. Jeez, the girl was taller than Maya had initially thought and super attractive too. When it was obvious Maya wasn’t going to make a move, the newcomer stared pointedly at Maya, than at the tattered backpack at her feet – now noticing how it effectively blocked the walking path – and back up at Maya. Flushing, or had she ever stopped blushing? “Right!” Maya leaned forward and jerkily tugged her backpack onto her lap. “Sorry!”

Either Maya was stronger than she looked or her bag was in worst shape than it appeared – most likely, almost definitely the latter – because the zipper of her backpack decided that yes, this was the most opportune time to break and to spill its contents across the floor. “Shit!” Maya cursed, hurrying to grab her items before she caused a bigger scene.

A few snickers echoed the room and a sharp “what the fuck?” from beside her had Maya wishing the floor would just open up and swallow her whole. Mercifully the rough-looking blonde didn’t say anything but she wasn’t exactly helpful either, opting to stand and watch idly while Maya hastily shoved various things into her bag. Her physics and mathematics AP textbook, a graphic calculator, her phone, a windbreaker jacket, and embarrassingly enough her dusty and dirty softball jersey had fallen out too. “Fucking loser. Go back to whatever hick country you’re from.” 

“Hey!”

Maya looked up startled, her fingers wrapped around her backpack in a white-knuckled grip. The girl had pulled her hands from out of her leather jacket and now had them curled up in tight fists, eyes narrowed in a dangerous glare that made Maya nervous even though it wasn’t directed at her but at the blonde next to her who’ve been making comments all day. “Fuck off. She’s fine.” 

Thankfully smart-mouth decided to keep her mouth shut, though her lips pursed in distaste. She obviously wasn’t dumb enough to pick a fight with a girl who looked like she wouldn’t hesitate to throw hands. She seemed like she would prefer it actually. Her fingers flexing in anticipation, just itching to teach the bully a lesson. They glared at each other for what seemed like eternity, the room tense and quiet as they were all caught up in the impromptu showdown. Finally smart-mouth caved and looked away and the tension eased. No catfight here. No sir, not today. We’re all professionals here.

Though if it did come to blows, Maya was willing to bet her whole savings on who would win that particular fight. “Ignore her.” The girl said. “She’s a bitch.”

Maya noticed in her peripherals that smart-mouth had stiffened at the comment but didn’t react otherwise. Thank God. Maya definitely did not want to be pulled in whatever might transpire. She was already at a disadvantage. She didn’t want to be known as “That-Latino-Girl-That-Starts-Fights-In-Waiting-Rooms”. It was a more of a mouthful than “successful actress Maya Sanchez”. 

The girl bent down, picking up the old softball that had rolled against her Converses. She tossed it gently in the air, catching it with one hand before handing it over to Maya. “Thanks.” Maya said softly, almost a whisper and too shy to make eye contact with the intense blue eyes.

The girl nodded once, understanding that the thanks was more for than just returning her softball before settling down in the only free seat a few chairs over from where Maya sat. The wait resumed without more fanfare, thank God again. More names were called and soon enough the waiting room dwindled until there were only a handful of actresses left. “Maya…Sanchez?” A staff called out and Maya stood almost too quickly, nearly tripping over her own feet.

Fuck. She looked like a total loser. Though the only one in the room looking at her was the rough-looking blonde. “Oh!” The staff who previously had his nose glued to his clipboard as if he couldn’t understand the name that was written down, finally looking up with surprise clearly written on his face as he did a once-over at Maya. “Right this way Miss Sanchez.” He directed with a forced smile, re-arranging his expressions to look somewhat professional as Maya followed after him.

There was a quiet laugh behind her and Maya turned slightly to see the first smile on the rough blonde’s face. It was really cute and the smile had stunned Maya enough for her steps to falter. Their eyes caught and the blonde offered a wry grin and a nod of encouragement. Or what Maya perceived as encouragement. She didn’t know the girl at all and she had been quiet ever since the tense exchange. For the few words she did say, half of them had been swear words.

Maya made her way down the corridor into a smaller room where the staff member had left her with a insincere “good luck” and facing a table where three older women sat. Sucking in a deep breath, Maya deposited her bag at the door before making her way to stand in front of them where they politely introduced themselves as the casting director, executive producer and director. No big deal. They’re just people too. People who may or may not jump start your acting career.

Squaring her shoulders, Maya smiled brightly.

“My name is Maya Sanchez am I am auditioning for the lead role of Adora.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time on the She-ra Live Action AU:
> 
> Callbacks and the Chemistry Test!
> 
> Find me on Tumblr where I sometimes post snippets and HC's @stebeans


	2. Callbacks and the Chemistry Test

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taylor Cruz is called back for the role of Adora in the upcoming live action reboot of She-ra. Someone crashes her callback, there's a fight and a little guilt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This work is inspired by cutest fanart and concept by @sunzho and @hey_adora, the original creators of this Actor AU, on Instagram. Please follow them and shower them with love and thanks! You can find this She-ra Live Action AU dubbed #cayaactorau at the following link: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/cayaactorau/
> 
> Thanks for all the love <3\. Hope you enjoy this chapter, I had a lot of fun writing it.

Unlike the day of auditions, callbacks was less hectic yet all the more nerve-wracking. The waiting room held a handful of actresses and their mothers and/or managers, sometimes they were one and the same as Taylor, unfortunately, knew quite well. Taylor herself had come alone. There was no mother, no manager, no agent, no friends or even distant relatives. As her mother had so eloquently last told her: she had made her bed and laid in it. Mother of the year, she was not.

Taylor sat in a chair situated in the corner, isolated away from the others and their curious looks. She had showed up late (again) and as soon the other occupants had glanced up to see who had entered, their eyes had immediately darted away in uneasiness. Letting out a gruff sigh, Taylor understood the tension that radiated around her. She didn’t look like the typical cheerful, all fake smiles, blonde actresses that overflowed the waiting rooms for auditions. And it didn’t help that she had caused a scene her first day.

But seriously, that bitch had it coming. Who the hell did she think she was going around telling people to “go back home to whatever backwards country they came from” or some shit along those lines. And it wasn’t like the other girl was going to say anything back. She was practically shaking with fear. Pathetic. And Taylor was sure as hell wasn’t going to let anything like that slide.

Tilting her head back until it thumped against the wall, Taylor counted the tiles of the ceiling to calm her racing heart. Though Taylor radiated a “no-fucks-given” exterior appearance – very successfully she might add— inside, she was a bundle of nerves. Ever since she had been labelled “difficult to work with, irresponsible punk, worthless actress” from her last gig, she had been flailing ever since to land a role. Casting directors who have heard down the grapevine barely gave her a shot these days and scripts barely ever made it into her hands. Nineteen and peaked. Wonderful.

Taylor let out a hiss at the thought before giving her head a good shake. No. She was not out yet. She may be down but definitely not out. This lead for She-ra was going to change her career around, she just knew it. Taylor could feel it in her bones that this role was going to be life-changing.

With everyone in the room avoiding eye contact with her it allowed Taylor to observe them blatantly. None of the faces really stood out to her and she smirked smugly when she didn’t see the bitch who’s face she almost caved in hadn’t made it to callbacks. Well, serves her right. Although with a second browse around the room Taylor failed to notice the one person who would’ve stood out right away. She’s not here, Taylor thought.

A wave a disappointment washed through her. She was selfish and she knew it and there was no one but her good enough for the part of Adora/She-ra but she had hoped the other girl…Mana or was it Mara – that last one sounded familiar – would defy the odds and at least be called back. Taylor did appreciate a good underdog story.

The room emptied and soon it was just Taylor lingering. The other actresses left, some looking dejected but most wore expressions that were hard to read. Maybe they saved the best for last? That was the famous saying was it not? At last she was led down the hall and back into the same room with three familiar smiling faces. “Hi Taylor. Great to see you again.” The casting director greeted. “We were really impressed with your audition.”

Taylor couldn’t help the smile that grew on her face, ears slightly burning. “Thanks.”

“So the producer and I have something a little different planned –” The casting director was cut off by a soft knock on the door and immediately Taylor’s eyebrows shot up. Was someone crashing her callback? What the hell?

The door opened slowly until eventually a mop of brown hair, bright eyes and a sheepish smile peaked into the opening. “Uh hi? I was told to meet here?”

“Mara?” Taylor exclaimed, her guard up. What on earth was she doing here? And during her callback? None of the other girls had their callback rudely interrupted.

“Ma- _ya._ ” The girl corrected, her furrowed brows conveyed that Taylor wasn’t the only one confused by the turn of events. She met Taylor’s eyes and it was clear that she recognized her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt I must’ve gotten the time mixed up.”

“No, no there hasn’t been a mistake. Please come in Maya! We are so glad you can make it today.” The casting director cheerfully beckoned the girl into the room. “You’re actually just in time. I was just explaining to Taylor here what you can expect today.”

Maya shuffled in gawkily until she stood a respectful distance apart from Taylor. They eyed each other warily until the producer cleared her throat. “We just wanted to say we were really impressed with _both_ of your auditions and instead of reading from the script that was sent to you we want you two to read from this. We’ll let you two a quick moment to familiarize yourselves with the scene.”

Unable to fathom what was happening Taylor nodded absentmindedly and reached for the new script. She gave it a quick read-through, noting that it was a more detailed script of the first altercation between the leads Adora and Catra, the villain of the show, from what Taylor had grasped from the pitch and initial script that was given to her. The new scene was quite the pivot Taylor had been expecting.

_ADORA_

_I’m not going home Catra._

_(screams from the burning village echoes in the background)._

_I can’t. Not after everything I’ve seen._

_(ADORA reaches for CATRA’S hand)_

_Come with me! You don’t have to go back there. We can fix this._

This scene was much more expressive and heartbreaking than the solo scene she had been preparing as she thumbed through the first few lines. Taylor had finished the read through first, allowing herself to study the girl next to her. Closer, she could note the dusting of freckles that spread from one cheek to the other. And Taylor wasn’t sure if Maya was even aware of the way her tongue stuck out slightly when she read. Cute.

It took a couple more minutes but when Maya looked up from the script in her hands, Taylor straightened and pulled her eyes away from the girl and back to the producer who grinned slightly. It was clear that she had noticed Taylor blatantly staring. Good going, way to look like a creep in front of the big bosses.

“I know you two must be confused but we wanted the callback today be a chemistry test of sorts.” The casting director explained. “I know that the both of you were hoping for the role Adora but we wanted to try something out. I know this is unexpected but we wanted to see if our gut feelings were right. If I can have you, Taylor, read the part of Adora. Maya if you could read the lines for Catra?”

At the request Taylor couldn’t help the sense of relief wash through her though from the corner of her eye she could see Maya’s shoulders drop in disappointment. It took a moment but Taylor realized the extent of the read. “Her?” Taylor raised a disbelieving brow at the girl beside her. “You want _her_ to play opposite of _me_?”

Maya let out a little huff, crossing her arms in front of her. “What’s wrong with that?”

Taylor took a moment to eye her critically. Sure she had a pretty mean glare when she got going but at the same time “She’s like…five-foot tall and a hundred pounds when wet. My grandmother looks more intimidating than her. You got to admit she isn’t very…villainy. ”

Maya spluttered indignantly. “Excuse me! For your information I’m five-foot-two!—”

Taylor scoffed. “Oh, my mistake. Five-foot- _two_. My apologies –”

“— and I’m stronger than I look! Just because I don’t have like…a billion piercings and an obnoxious devil-may-care attitude doesn’t mean I can’t be badassed. You haven’t even seen me act. I bet I can act circles around you any day!”

“Evidently not.” Taylor shot back, cheeks heating up in anger. “Seeing as they just offered me the _lead_ role. You’re like…my sidekick or whatever.”

Taylor smirked as Maya unfolded her arms, strolled right up into her personal space in a fit of rage and pointed an accusing finger in her face. “Have you even read the script? Catra isn’t a _sidekick_.” She said the last part in disgust. “If anything, she’s her equal! She’s just a little misguided and hurt but she isn’t a bad person! And I'm _pretty_ sure they didn't offer you anything.”

Distantly Taylor could see the casting members whispering between one another. In the far part in her mind Taylor could register that she was blowing this but the anger that was seething just below the surface was taking precedence.

“Ladies!” a booming voice cut through their argument. It was the executive producer. Oh great. They sure showed off their stuff. As if remembering where they were, Maya took a couple steps back so she was no longer evading Taylor’s space, quickly lowering her accusing finger at the same time. “Thank you for that…performance but I think we’ve seen everything we needed to see.”

The faces of the three women were hard to read and besides the polite smile they all wore, they weren’t giving anything away. Honestly, Taylor thought they’d be thrown out by security by now after what had to be _the_ worst chemistry performance in the history of acting. “Thank you once again for your time ladies and I hope you both have a good day.”

Ugh. If that didn’t sound like a brush off than Taylor didn’t know what was. Taylor and Maya packed up their things in silence though both were trying to control the annoyance and frustration that surfaced during the performance. “Thanks a lot.” Taylor sneered as soon as they cleared the building’s exit.

Maya whirled around with narrowed eyes. “No. Don’t you dare blame that all on me.”

“No? Than who should I blame?”

“If only you would have just done the read-through with me without getting all snippy we wouldn’t had to have resorted to bickering like a bunch of immature babies.”

“That reminds me don’t you have a babysitter to run back to? I’m sure you’re missing nap time.”

Taylor watched in amusement as Maya ran her hands through her long dark locks, seemingly looking like she was resisting to pull her own hair out. “Oh my God! How old do you think I am?”

“…Like twelve? or something?”

Taylor would be lying if she said she didn’t enjoy making Maya lose her composure. It was quite fascinating actually. To watch someone as shy and introverted as Maya break out of her shell. “I am almost eighteen and I’m graduating from high school in a few weeks I’ll have you know!” Maya exclaimed hotly. “And not all of us are lucky to be born as freaking bean stalks!”

“I should thank you.” Taylor snickered as Maya’s nose bunched up in confusion. “Having you around is good for my ego. You make me sound _way_ taller than I actually am. If anything, I’m of average height. Just five-foot-six of pure American muscle.” She even raised her arms to flex, though it was hard to tell through her the thickness of her leather jacket.

“Ugh. I liked it better when all you did was glower.” Maya muttered with an eye roll. “Why do you have to be so difficult?”

_Difficult?_

It was almost instantaneous. Taylor could feel herself go numb and her features darken at the word. Lowering her arms to her side, Taylor shoved them into the pockets of her jacket in an attempt to hide the shakiness of her hands. “Difficult?” She echoed. “Fine whatever. Think what you want of me but I’d rather be difficult than some stupid, naïve little girl.” Taylor hissed.

As soon as those words left her lips Taylor wish she could reach out and pull them back in before they did any damage but it was clear on Maya’s hurtful expression that it was too late. Ignoring the pang of guilt hammering inside her chest at the wounded look on Maya’s face, Taylor steeled herself as she often done. “Well as fun as this has been, which it hasn’t and I’m lying, I have places to be.”

Tightly sealing the apology that sat on the tip her tongue, Taylor shouldered her way past Maya, knocking the girl a step back as she stepped onto the sidewalk and down the street, never once looking back where she left the stunned girl. It’s better this way, Taylor thought numbly. It wasn’t like there was a likely chance they would ever see each other again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next:
> 
> The casting call and first cast meet
> 
> Find me on Tumblr where I sometimes post snippets and HC's @stebeans


	3. The Call and First Cast Meet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maya gets the call of a lifetime, experiences a world of magic, meets new friends and chokes. Twice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This work is inspired by cutest fanart and concept by @sunzho and @hey_adora, the original creators of this Actor AU, on Instagram. Please follow them and shower them with love and thanks! You can find this She-ra Live Action AU dubbed #cayaactorau at the following link: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/cayaactorau/
> 
> As always, thank you for all the love <3
> 
> Cast List, so far:  
> Maya Sanchez as Catra  
> Taylor Cruz as Adora/She-Ra  
> Jessica Cho as Glimmer  
> Marcus Patterson as Bow

The call that had changed her life had come months ago and even now it hadn’t really sunk in. Maya’s agent, a family friend, had called her with the good news just a few days after Maya’s graduation. She had been at the park, playing with her brothers and the neighboring kids in a game of pick-up baseball, if you could even call it that as it was pretty much a no-rules, all-out game of America’s favorite sport. Remi – Maya’s brother and the youngest of the boys – was catcher and a no-good cheat, who kept poking her in the side every time she went up to bat knowing full well she was ticklish.

Maya had managed to hit what looked to be an infield home run and had been rounding third base and was sprinting to home when her second oldest brother, Rafael, playing pitcher had caught her around the waist. Being much taller and stronger than Maya, Rafael had easily lifted her off the ground and held on tight, laughing loudly in her ear as she tried to squirm out of his hold. “Let me go Raf! You asshole!” she screeched, slapping her brother in the arms and back but Rafael had held on until the shortstop had fired the ball into Remi’s awaiting glove. “You guys suck. So much.” Maya hissed, pulling Rafael’s cap over his eyes when he had finally set her back down on the ground. “You’re so lucky I didn’t kick you where the sun don’t shine.” She snapped, ignoring the way her brothers celebrated the win with their obnoxious dance and their chanting of _“Maya’s a sore loser! Maya’s a sore loser!”_

Sulking grumpily, Maya had made her way to the bench where she had left her stuff. She had just finished gulping down what was left of her water bottle when her cellphone rang. Digging into the outer pocket of her backpack for her phone, and immediately her heart beat faster when she had caught the caller ID. She had auditioned for a variety of roles leading up to graduation after the epic fail of the She-ra callback. A few had been minor roles for TV, one was for a background character for a movie, but mostly they were commercial roles. Distantly, Maya wondered if she landed that shampoo commercial gig. The casting director had been kind and had even praised her for her natural, long and luscious hair. “Hello? Serena?” Maya answered, wiping the sweat away from her forehead with the back of her hand and hoping she didn’t sound too out of breath from her game.

“You got the part kiddo!” Serena had practically shrieked into her ear, forgoing the typical phone etiquette greeting.

The celebration on the field faded away at Serena’s words. “What?” Maya had landed a few minor commercial roles before but Serena hadn’t even delivered the news with half the excitement as she was now.

“Maya! You got the part!” Serena cheered. “You’re going to be in _She-ra_!”

“ _What_?” Maya was stunned. “No way! Are you kidding me right now? Did Raf and Remi put you up to this?” Because there was no way in hell did Maya ever imagine landing the lead role in a TV series.

Dazedly, Maya noticed the curious looks her brothers shot her when they caught their names being said. “No Maya! It’s not a joke! You got it kid! You got it.” Serena asserted. “You got the part of Catra!”

Catra.

_Catra_.

Not Adora than.

Catra may not have been the lead character but still. Catra was a significant role and was infinite better than any of her previous roles combined. Shock and disbelief was fading faster as excitement began to take over. “I got Catra?” Maya whispered delicately. “I’m Catra?” She repeated..

Maya could see the concerned looks her brothers gave her and were quickly trekking towards her. Serena laughed happily on the other end of the phone and Maya was guessing she might’ve been crying a little bit too. Happy tears though. Kind of like the ones gathering behind her eyes now. “Yes.” Serena affirmed behind a quiet sniffle. “You’re Catra.”

“Maya what’s wrong?” Remi asked worriedly as her brothers approached her.

Unable to form words, Maya shook her head and wiped at her tears. “Did someone hurt you?” Remi asked. “Who was it? I’ll quick their ass!”

At the threat Maya laughed behind a half sob-half hiccup. “No! No. It’s nothing like that. It’s Serena.”

At the information both Remi and Raf froze. their eyes scanning the happiness behind their baby sister’s eyes despite the tears and the smile that was tugging on her lips. “Aaaannnddd?” Rafael pressed, anxiety for his sister crawling underneath his skin.

“I got the part.” Maya replied faintly. “I got the part.” She said a little louder. “I’m going to be in _She-ra_!” She shouted out in excitement, lifting her arms in victory.

There was barely a delay before Remi and Rafael whooped and hollered louder than they had when they won the baseball game. Remi had messed up her hair as he shouted out his congratulations but Maya was too happy to care and when Rafael had picked her up and spun her around the second time that day within the span of minutes, instead of kicking him in the nuts like she wanted to do the first time, Maya laughed and cheered. “I’m going to be in She-ra!”

“Yeah you are!” Rafael hollered.

“Ma- _ya_! Ma- _ya_!” Remi began the chant with Rafael joining in quickly.

The chanting had caught the attention from the players on either teams and it only took one glance to notice the happiness and excitement emitting from the trio of siblings. It was contagious and it didn’t take long for the others to join in on the chanting as they gathered around the Sanchez’s. News spread quickly between the teams and soon they were all celebrating in Maya’s achievement to her delight and slight embarrassment. During all the commotion Maya had dropped her phone but somehow the call with Serena was set on speaker because Maya could hear her tinny voice chanting along with the others.

These were people who she had grown up with. Neighbors who hosted and attended their summer BBQ’s. Friends and classmates who played pick-up games with her. Kids who she helped babysat. Others who had babysat _her_. They were a small yet tight-knit community and Maya was happy she was able to share the news with people who cared for her and vice-versa.

“I’m going to be Catra!” She shouted to the darkening sky, now lifted on her brother’s broad shoulder and a wave a cheers followed her exclamation, echoing throughout the field.

That call had been months ago but Maya could recall it as if it was yesterday and it was easily one of the best days of her life. Today, was a different story. Today might just take the cake for being the most anxiety-filled day she had ever experienced. It was infinitely more stressful than any of her past auditions and all those first days of school she had endured.

Her mother had dropped her off with a kiss on her forehead and a genuine “have a good day” at the gates of the studio where the security had been strict. With her bag slung over her shoulder she was quickly directed to one of those golf carts where one of the assistants would courier her to where the cast was meeting for the first time for a table read. Approaching the cart she noticed she wasn’t the only one getting a lift. A short Asian girl, with the coolest rose gold ombre colored hair that Maya had ever seen, sat in the back with her eyes glued to the phone in her hands. She didn’t even seem to notice when Maya approached, taking a seat next to her. “Hi.” Maya greeted shyly, anything to break the awkward silence.

The intimidating girl spared her a quick glance before turning attention back to her phone, scrolling through what Maya guessed was Twitter. “Hey.” Was her blasé reply.

Well. Can’t say she didn’t try. Maya drummed her fingers against the jean-clad thigh, taking the time to take in the scenery around her. DreamFlix wasn’t one of the bigger film production companies but they were certainly gaining popularity in their recent years and their studio lot was the bigger and grander than any lot she had ever stepped foot in. The golf cart weaved past various bodies, buildings, onsite sets and Maya couldn’t help but be amazed. One of the sets they drove past had a hose mounted to a crane where they were testing a rain pour. So. Cool. Her face must’ve betrayed her dorkiness because “First time?”

Maya rushed to close her slacked jaw. Grinning she shrugged. “Yeah. I’ve never been to a studio this big before. It’s amazing. Magical.” Maya added when they passed a group of people dressed up as mystical creatures.

The girl beside her let out a chuckle. “Yeah. It is pretty magical.” She agreed before holding out a hand. “But the novelty kind of wears off when your running late and you’re stuck behind a stampede of trolls and hooved centaurs. I’m Jessica by the way but everyone calls me Jess.”

“Maya.” Maya introduced with a warm smile, taking the offered hand with a gentle shake. “I’m guessing this isn’t your first time here then?”

“I’ve been doing this for a few years now and I had a couple small roles before. I’m mostly in the recording studio as the lead for an animation series but this is my first big gig on a live action series. So I guess I’m seeing things differently this time around.” Jess noted, pointing out where a few guys were heaving a wagon dolly carrying a ten-foot half-built mechanical dragon. “It’s pretty cool looking at everything with new eyes. Though I do know my way around the studio lot. Stick with me and I can show you were they hide all the cookies and the best place to throw a tantrum without anyone knowing.” Jess said with a laugh, her eyes crinkling at the edges and Maya couldn’t believe how she thought this girl was intimidating before.

Maya joined in on Jess’s joke. “Looks like I got myself a tour guide.”

The two of them made small talk, pointing out cool and unusual things from their vantage on the cart as they zipped past sets, giggling and laughing as if they were long lost friends before the they came to a stop in front of a non-descript brown building. It was smaller than the others they had passed but Maya guessed nothing fancy was needed for a table read. After jumping out of her seat, Maya smoothed down her grey oversized t-shirt, making sure it was tucked neatly into her black jeans at the front. She ran a hand through her hair, making sure there were no knots and breathing out a big sigh when she followed Jess to where the cast and crew were gathered.

Just before the assistant can knock on the door and leave them to fend for themselves, Jess reached out and gave a Maya’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry too much. You’ve already gotten the part. You’re going to have to screw up big time to lose your role and something tells me you aren’t the diva type. So just go in there and have fun okay? Today is about meeting the cast members and the production team. Then we’re just going to do a little reading. No big deal right?”

“Right.” Maya nodded, shooting Jess an appreciative smile though she could feel her hands trembling slightly.

The door opened and Maya was ushered in, noting that the room was already filled. She hoped she wasn’t running late. The director, casting director and the producer were easy to pick out as they smiled at their entrance. “Welcome Jessica and Maya. So glad you could make it to today’s table read. We are very excited to have you on our team.” The producer said, smiling kindly while shaking their hands. “Looks like we are just waiting on our star and then we could get this party started but why don’t you ladies help yourself to some refreshments in the meanwhile.”

A fold up table topped with snacks and drinks was set up at the far end of the room while the middle was occupied by a conference table with chairs set up on all sides. It looked barely enough to sit the amount of people in the room. There were maybe thirty people in the room already – and easily this was the largest cast meet Maya ever attended – who were huddled in small groups around the snack table and at the front of the room where it was left open.

Helping herself to a water bottle and some chips Maya took the chance to survey the occupants in the room and was honestly surprised at the diversity of the cast and crew. A good chunk of them were women and of various skin colors too. Am I in the twilight zone or what? This is so amazing. Maya thought, happy to know that she wasn’t going to be one of those “token” characters again. This was already shaping up to be a good show.

It was when Maya had a mouthful of chips did one of the rare guys in the group approached her and Jess. “Hi! I’m Marcus!” He introduced, a cute dimple appearing when he smiled and wow, did he have the nicest set of teeth and softest looking skin ever.

Like the majority of the cast, Marcus was a person of colour, he might actually be the darkest skinned person there, with a hipster afro buzzcut, broad shoulders and a muscular physique that even Maya could appreciate. “How cool is this?” Marcus continued as he stared wide-eyed around the room. “I’ve never been on a show with this much diversity!”

Maya nearly choked on her chips when she laughed earning a concerned look from Marcus and Jess as well as a couple others around her. Thumping her chest, Maya had to practically force the water down her throat. “Sorry! Sorry! I didn’t mean to laugh. It was just…I was thinking the exact same thing!”

Marcus laughed, patting her on the shoulder. “Well what do you know, great minds do think alike. Or maybe it’s because of our instant connection.” He joked, wagging his eyebrows up and down in exaggeration.

“Okay Romeo, that’s enough.” Jess rolled her eyes before introducing herself and Maya.

Marcus chuckled good naturedly and shook their hands. They fell into a comfortable conversation, talking about their last gigs and past horror stories they had endured and Maya earning baby-cooing noises when she mentioned how she graduated high school before the summer officially started.

“Aww you’re just a baby!” Jess tutted and Marcus busted out laughing.

Pouting and knowing full well it didn’t help out her case, Maya whined out “I am not a baby! And look!” Maya pointed to a nearby cast member. “That girl is like…twelve!” Said girl whirled around to level a death glare at Maya who stammered out a “ But like also, good for her! Very, _very_ impressive.” Which only set off Jess and Marcus again, with the latter legitimately having to wipe tears from his eyes he was laughing so hard.

“That little girl is Mei Lin and she is probably the greatest child star in the business right now. She isn’t just a baby. She is The baby.” Marcus explained through his bout of laughter.

Maya shook her head. “Fine. Whatever. I’m still not a baby.” She grumbled under her breath as she raised her bottle up to her lips to take a long pull of water only to have it come spluttering back out when she instantly recognized the newest addition stepping past the door threshold.

Coughing and gasping, Maya did her best to wave off Jess’ and Marcus’ concern as she tried to breathe through her choking. Way to be subtle, Sanchez. “Dude! Are you okay?” Marcus inquired, patting her firmly on the back. “Even I know babies don’t choke half as much as you do.”

Blinking back the tears in her eyes from the burning in her nose Maya offered a flimsy thumbs up. “Sorry. Just...wrong pipe. I’m fine.” She lied, cursing inwardly at the look of alarm she was garnering from the majority of the room seeing it was hard to ignore someone who was choking to death.

She met Taylor’s surprised eyes from across the room. “Just peachy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next:
> 
> Theatre games, Taylor almost get's knocked out and the first table read for She-ra


	4. Theatre Games and the Table Read

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taylor dreads theatre games and the first table read for She-Ra commences. An apology is made and the air is cleared.

Taylor did not run. Ever. It was against her very nature. She never ran to catch a bus that was just departing, she used to stroll into class minutes after the late bell and she’d bet her past gym teachers were now probably grey in the hair from all the stress she had caused in gym class...

But now.

Now she was practically sprinting in a dead run across the studio lot towards the brick building one of the passing assistants had pointed out. Ha! If Mr. Brody, her seventh grade gym teacher, could see her now he’d probably be crying tears of joy seeing as he was always pushing her towards to join the track team. Something about her body build, lithe and toned, had made him believe she could be the next Usain Bolt. It was a pipe dream. No one could ever be the next Usain Bolt unless there was some sort of cloning device. And as if she would be caught dead wearing _those_ gym shorts.

If only her damn alarm clock went off when it should have, Taylor wouldn’t be tearing like a bat out of hell. Apparently some time during the night she had knocked her phone charge loose from the flimsy wall outlet of her crappy apartment resulting a dead battery that never got charged. To make matters worse her beat-up Prius had chosen today of all days to finally break down forcing her to spring for an Uber she could barely afford. Taylor had sat in traffic on the I-105 for hours, her leg bouncing with anxiety and internally debating if she should just fuck it and continue on foot because _anything_ was better than the painful crawl of the worst-known traffic in LA. She would know, being a born native and all.

Taylor cursed her string of bad luck that had resulted her in being late for the first cast meet/table read. She had spent endless nights and every waking second between shifts at the restaurant and a popular juice bar, studying the script front to back, since it had been dropped off at her door a few weeks back. She had wanted to come prepared. To prove everyone that she wasn’t a risky choice. A mistake. A liability. Taylor was going to be the best damn She-Ra the world has ever known.

Her sneakers squeaked against the linoleum flooring as she skidded into the building, eyes squinting against the brightness of the fluorescent lights. Damn. Not only was she late but now she was sweaty. Ugh, Taylor could feel her damp t-shirt clinging to her back from underneath her signature leather jacket. She slowed to a stop just before the door, huffing and puffing, ignoring the nagging voice pointing out just how out of shape she was. She shot a glance down at her worn leather wristwatch, ten minutes late, not too bad but not great for a first impression. It took a minute to fix herself up as best as she could but at least she didn’t look like a hot mess. Grasping the door handle, Taylor could hear the muffled yet elated chatter beyond the door and without wasting another second she pulled the door open.

The view before her surprised her a little. The room was full of people, both cast and crew Taylor surmised with the handful of people staring intently at their clipboards as they made little notes in the margins. People hung out in little groups, making small conversations with shy smiles and nervous glances. Despite the awkward tension that hung in the air (typical for a first time cast meet) the room didn’t seem as stuffy and unwelcoming as the table reads she had attended in the past. It was usually full of pretentious lead actors already attempting to exert their dominance and one or two fellow male co-stars acting _chummy_ with her.

Just as she was about to step forward to make her entrance a round of laughter erupted near the back of the room, rising above the idle chatter and garnering a few curious looks. Her gaze wandered over to the cheerful group, taking in the small group that somehow was making so much commotion. A short Asian girl had her head tilted back, roaring with laughter and it wasn’t until the taller black male had doubled over clutching his stomach, he was laughing so hard, did she catch the familiar wild mane of hair and wiry stature. Her mouth dropped open, her mind going blank and despite the distance she immediately— and inadvertently—caught Maya’s eyes from across the room. There was no mistake that Maya had recognized her the same time she did and it was quite unfortunate that Maya had been mid-sip when they had caught each other gazes because the girl had practically snorted water out of her nose in disbelief.

It would’ve been quite comical for Taylor had she not been internally panicking and all she could think about was Maya. And that she was here. At the cast meet for She-Ra. Maya. Here. With her. It had been a couple months since she last saw the girl and while she was banking on the shot she wouldn’t run into her again ever since the chemistry test from hell, Taylor knew better that while LA was a large city filled with hundreds of thousands of people, the chances of meeting one another in an audition was quite high. The Hollywood world wasn’t as large as everyone made it out to be.

Caught off guard and shocked beyond belief, Taylor stayed frozen at the doorway. Her mind just barely registering what was happening as Maya descended into a fit of forced hacks and haphazard coughs. Taylor winced slightly at the choking sounds and unwanted attention Maya was receiving. If people weren’t paying attention before, they were now as a few of them gathered around her, worry etching their faces. Yikes, that was one way to stand out at cast meet, Taylor supposed.

Taylor watched Maya wave off their concern with a watery smile and flimsy thumbs up before meeting her eyes once again, as if confirming she wasn’t just imagining things. Taylor didn’t blame her. She too had done a double-take because what were the freaking chances they would meet again? Especially during the table read for She-Ra considering their chemistry test from hell for said production?

Despite the shock, confusion and lingering guilt from how Taylor had last left things, she couldn’t pull her gaze away. It surprised how fast the incredulous look was wiped away from Maya’s face. Now Taylor couldn’t read her. She didn’t look happy because yeah, she was kind of a bitch the last time they talked but she didn’t seem _un_ -happy. Sort of indifferent? Which honestly, Taylor could work with that. She squared her shoulders. She was going to woman-up, approach Maya and apologize. Maybe she’ll convince her to have a re-do introduction. A blank slate. It was of course for the best considering they would now be cast mates for the foreseeable future. It would be the _professional_ thing to do.

She was going to rip off the band-aid and set aside her ego for once. Taylor inhaled deeply took a step forward only to be almost immediately deterred by an arm wrapping around her shoulders. “Taylor!” The Director greeted with a cheer. “So glad you made it! Now that our star is here we should get started, I bet everyone is excited to finally get the ball rolling, I know I am!” The Director clapped her hands until everyone’s attention was on her. “Okay everyone gather around, gather around!” She called out, corralling the occupants to the front of the room, where Taylor now noticed was clear of any furniture and spacious enough for the Director to instruct everyone to form a wide circle.

_Oh no_. If Taylor was right – and from the round object the Director was rolling in her hands – she was. Taylor felt a wave of dread fill her. She _hated_ theatre games. Despised them actually. Some people thought it was a fun and brilliant way to break the ice between actors but Taylor hated it with a passion, almost as much as she hated running. She didn’t have the natural charisma or friendly disposition to easily befriend people. It would take more than some theatre game to warm her up to others and usually people didn’t have the patience or care to get to know her, already passing judgement in the first few minutes they meet her.

It shouldn’t surprise Taylor that Maya’s eyes lit up at the sight of the foam baseball, with how eager the Latina found everything. Unable to hold back the eye roll as Maya strolled towards the front of the room, hauling her new friends along with her with a cheery glint in her eyes. Apparently that was all it took because the rest of the room began to converge to the front, languidly following after Maya. Funnily, Taylor slipped through the crowd in the opposite direction towards the tables. “Looks like we got our first volunteer!” The Director announced joyfully and Taylor watched as Maya easily caught the ball in her hand, squeezing and examining the colourful foam ball. 

Taylor took her sweet time, randomly choosing one of the free seats left and slowly pulling her shoulder bag from where it hung limply at her side. It was obviously well-used, the weather so worn it was soft to the touch but despite it, it was Taylor’s most prized possession. The shoulder bag was a gift from her grandmother, her first true fan, a believer in her talents and pillar of support from anything from her floundering career in acting to her love life, or lack thereof in this case. Carefully placing the bag on the table, Taylor ran a hand over the flap for good luck. It wouldn’t compete against her grandmother’s unwavering tone as she wished her good luck or the following warmth of her loving embrace but it was the next best thing. Pretending her shoes needed re-tying, which actually wasn’t that far from the truth after nearly losing one on her jog over, Taylor took her sweet time in an attempt to prolong the inevitable.

The chatter within the room rose to an excitable level that had Taylor grimacing. After milking as much time as she could, Taylor straightened and glanced at the circle of her cast mates. She met Maya’s challenging gaze from across the room where the other actress was confidently tossing the ball in the air with a single hand, her eyes never once straying away from Taylor’s. Fine. If Maya wants to play, she’ll play. If that was how it was going to be. Taylor shrugged her leather jacket off with jerky movements, draping it across the back of the chair and strolling to the group where she planted herself directly across from Maya, meeting her challenging stare with one of her own.

As the ball was thrown at her with the speed and projection of a freaking rocket, Taylor barely had the time or reaction to bring her hands up before it whipped her in the face, her hands stinging despite the foam filling of the ball. So. Turns out she was wrong and Maya wasn’t feeling quite so indifferent after all. Feeling a dozen or so expectant eyes on her, Taylor nearly dropped the ball with how sweaty her palms had gotten. In front of a camera Taylor had no issues with her confidence. She could act the hell out of her character, she could play the dumb blonde, the air head cheerleader, the golden child of a popular tv series but when the cameras were put away and it was just _her_ , no script, no fake persona, Taylor was as vulnerable as a baby bird. “Um, hi?” She gulped, feeling her throat dry up like the Sahara Desert.

The Director smiled encouragingly. “Why don’t you tell us who you are, something about yourself, who you will be playing in the show and a little fun fact if you will?”

“Right.” Taylor gulped. “Right. Well…I’m Taylor Cruz.” There was a chorus of friendly “hello Taylor’s” that helped ease her nervousness. “I will be playing Adora and I guess She-Ra by extension. I’m nineteen and a fun fact about me is uhh…” Taylor forced herself to think but with everyone’s focus on her she drew a blank. “I umm, I know all the words to ‘Baby Got Back’…”

Her “fun fact” was met with silence and Taylor could feel her cheeks warm up rapidly. A snort of laughter broke the quietness and Taylor’s eyes narrowed at Maya who grinned at her stupidly, waving off her uncontained laughter. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” She apologized between pursed lips, failing to hold back her laugh. “It’s just…it was so unexpected.” The rest of the crew joined in a light chuckle and a towering woman beside her clapped her on the shoulder that nearly sent her flying.

Taylor could’ve sworn her cheeks were on fire and she wanted nothing more for the floor to swallow her whole. “It’s not something I’m proud of.” She added not wanting to give the room of strangers the wrong impression but nonetheless her comment elicited another round of good-natured laughter.

“Well I guess that means we will have to plan a karaoke night soon.” The man next to Maya said cheerfully, who Taylor would later learn to be Marcus.

Everyone nodded encouragingly and even Maya sent her a grin that looked less mocking and more in amusement. She glanced at the director, the obvious leader in this torture game, shooting her a _what now?_ look, hoping that she would understand. “That’s great Taylor, I’m sure we’ll get you on stage soon enough. I bet everyone is looking forward to hearing you sing.” A whoop and a joyous ‘hell yeah!’ cut in that had everyone chuckling anew. “Why don’t you toss the ball to someone and they will repeat your name before they introduce themselves. We’ll continue the process until everyone has had a chance. Anyone who messes up a name will be severely punished.” The Director teased, giving Taylor the go ahead which Taylor was too happily relinquish the pressure to the next unfortunate person.

Taylor lifted the foam ball, all the ready to throw it back at Maya but she overlooked one crucial fact. She didn’t own one athletic bone in her body and while the intended target had been Maya, she nearly taken out the eye of another woman standing two person’s down from her mark. Taylor attempted to play it cool, as if that was who she was aiming for all along but by the raised eyebrow from Maya she could surmise she wasn’t as successful in the ruse. Thankfully everyone else seemed to have not noticed and was more than happy to get the theatre game started.

While Taylor had cursed her luck during her intro, she was relieved that she had gone first. A few people had jumbled up the order of the names or had outright gotten them wrong and were forced to do pushups while everyone booed and teased mercilessly. One pushup would already be…pushing the limit, pun not intended, for Taylor.

It was funny cause in the end the last person to be introduced was Maya, who caught the wavering ball before it smacked into Jessica – or Jess as she preferred – with relative ease. “Hi it’s nice meeting everyone.” She greeted the group shyly and of freaking course, repeated all the names in the room without issues. “My name is Maya Sanchez and I am seventeen years old. I just graduated high school and my fun fact is that my first love is softball and we have been going steady for ten years now.”

If Maya hadn’t surrendered the fact or if Taylor hadn’t seen her pick up the uniform from the floor the first time they met, it was obvious with the way Maya handled the ball with ease, tossing it up from hand to hand, adding spin so the rainbow coloured ball blurred in a magnitude of colours in the air. “Oh! That’s cool!” Marcus remarked. “Are you any good?”

Maya smiled sheepishly, raising one shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. “I’m alright.” She replied and Taylor had a feeling that she was being too modest for her own good. 

As anxious as she was at the beginning of the ice-breaker game, the ball tossing and questions did its intended job as Taylor could feel the tension release from her shoulders. Admittedly it had been a fun and efficient way to get to meet her new co-stars and the production team. It wasn’t as terrible as she had thought and she even chatted with Alexandria, the tall giant of a woman with long black hair that fell past her broad shoulders, who would be playing Scorpia. She also happened to be super kind which was highlighted when a few people had trouble completing their set of pushups as punishment, Alexandria had dropped to floor and had completed the penalties on their behalf without breaking a sweat that had Taylor slightly, _just_ slightly jealous.

If it weren’t for her easy smile and kindness, Taylor already knew she would like Alexandria. The woman was unapologetically _herself._ Where many actresses in Hollywood fought to be tall and skinny, Alexandra looked like she could easily out bench press the guys in the room. She was strong and she was kind, something that was quite rare in Hollywood and Taylor had already made a silent vow to start hitting the gym more regularly. She wasn’t going to cut it as She-Ra with her noodle arms. Maybe she would even ask Alexandria for some tips.

The team was now gathered around the tables. Finally they were going to get down to business and back into Taylor’s comfort zone. Plus she couldn’t wait to jump into her new role. Pulling her well-used copy of the script where all her lines were highlighted with little handwritten notes and questions that she had for the production team. She had made sure she had studied the script as best she could in preparation for the day. The first page was filled with notes, mostly about questions about the stunt work. This role as Adora was going to be Taylor’s most challenging and vigorous yet and to be honest she was more than a little nervous.

The opening scene was mostly action filled and of course being the title character, Taylor had first honor of opening the show. It was tricky when you were the first person to read at the very first table-read. It all fell on the first reader to set the tone. Was she going to play it cool and comfortable and just read her lines normally? That may send the wrong idea as she didn’t want to come off as lazy or unexcited about her role. But if she went hard, she might look too enthused and everyone was going to be forced to match her intensity. She had internally struggled on how she was going to play her role today but after the ice-breaker game everyone seemingly eager and radiating with excitement, Taylor went with her gut feeling. “Hey Princess.” She growled, trying to make herself sound intimidating. “You lookin’ at me?”

Luckily Andrew (playing Kyle) and Brianna (playing Lonnie) were all too happy to play up their readings too and soon they had set the tone for the table read. The first act was flying by as they had skipped through the action scenes and the introduction of Catra came all too soon. Taylor could feel her palms clam up as she played with the edges of her script.

“Hey Adora…how’s it hanging?” Maya chirped in now, her voice deep and teasing.

Taylor was taken aback as soon as Maya read her first line and nearly missed her cue. Was Maya's voice always so raspy? Shaking her head clear, Taylor had forced her eyes up, dismissing her script. She had this part all memorized already. “Catra.” She grunted out in annoyance. “Do you really show up late and let us do all the hard parts? That is low.” Taylor admonished, eyes on Maya who stared back with an excited glint in her eyes. “Even for you.” Taylor finished off.

“Awwww.” Maya cooed lowly, her eyes not leaving Taylor’s. Apparently Taylor wasn’t the only one who had memorize her lines. “You know nothing’s too low for me.” She said before letting out a high pitched cackle that had the cast and crew sharing amused smiles. “Now come on. You look _stupid_ hanging down there.” Maya said, adding a hint of reverence instead of admonishment that Taylor had been imagining on her solo read-throughs.

The two had disregarded their scripts and had ignored the rest of the room as they exchanged lines, playing off one another and Taylor could feel her ease into her role as Adora. From the corner of Taylor’s eyes she could see the Director and Producer exchange a proud smile. They weren’t the only ones who felt the chemistry. It was quite ironic really as they didn't quite get along in real life. If only the others knew what had truly happened before today.

The read-through continued and Taylor couldn’t remember laughing so hard at a table read before. When it had come to the confrontation between Queen Angela and her daughter Glimmer in the throne room. Jessica Cho, who Taylor had overheard was mostly in the voice-acting scene and the beautiful and revered actress Emmaline Lee-Scott who played the Brightmoon Queen, were just so natural with one another despite just meeting for the first time today. They had read their lines so perfectly with just the right amount of huffing, scolding and annoyance of a typical mother-daughter dispute that had the whole room in stitches. It was a welcomed follow up from her read-through with Jacqueline Emery Grey who would be playing the role of Shadow Weaver. Jacqueline was just as famous as Emmaline Lee-Scott and playing opposite of her, even for a short moment was enough to leave Taylor star struck. She was glad for the break so she could calm her racing heart and gather herself again.

It had taken nearly all day but the first table read was a success. By the end everyone had eased into their roles and it seemed the Casting Director was now fully committed to the cast. They had all played off one another and the energy in the room was high and full of potential. It was the first time in a long while that Taylor was genuinely excited to go to work. The department heads was thanking everyone for the day and were handing out the upcoming schedule while Taylor was shoving her belongings in her bag. She followed Maya’s movements, watching the other girl slip on her backpack and waving off her new friends Jess and Marcus. They were the last of the stragglers and Taylor decided that it was now or never.

“Hey! Umm Maya? Can I talk to you real quick?” Taylor approached hesitantly, shoving her hands into her pockets.

Maya looked uncertain but nonetheless she nodded. “Sure. I have time. My mom is a little late. Traffic, you know?”

Taylor nodded gravely, grasping onto the lifeline Maya was throwing. “Oh I know. Kind of one of the reasons I was late. So much for a good impression.” She shrugged.

“Eh, I think you did alright Cruz.” Maya said with a small smile.

“I umm… I thought you were pretty great today too.” Taylor praised. “We make a pretty good team.”

“Yeah, we do.” Maya agreed easily. “Near-death experience aside.” She joked with a wry grin. “I had a lot of fun today.”

Sucking in a deep breath Taylor turned to face Maya head on. “Listen. About before. I just…wanted to apologize. I was being rude and I took it out on you. You didn’t deserve any of that and…I’m sorry.”

Taylor fought the urge to fidget underneath Maya’s calculating gaze. After a moment that had Taylor sweating Maya seemed to recognize her sincerity cause she broke into a soft smile. “Thanks Taylor. It means a lot and I accept your apology. I also wanted to thank you.”

Puzzled, Taylor was taken aback. “Thank me? For what?”

“For the first time we met. In the audition room? You stood up for me when that other actress was giving me a hard time and I never got to properly thank you for that. I was super nervous if that wasn’t apparent.” _Oh, it definitely was._ “And I knew it was a long shot but it’s rare to see any roles for people of colour. I just took a chance, however slim it is.”

“Well I’m glad it paid off.” Taylor stated. “I’m looking forward to working with you Maya Sanchez.”

“Same here Cruz.” Maya replied with her easy-going grin.

An old sedan pulled up to the curb and Maya waved happily at her mother. “Well that’s my ride. My mom’s going to want to hear a play-by-play.”

“Your mom sounds pretty cool.”

“She has her moments.” Maya smiled warmly. “Hiya Mama.” She greeted as soon as she opened the passenger door.

“Maya! How was your day? You have to tell me everything. Is this a new friend? Mija don’t be rude, introduce us unless you are embarrassed of your mother?”

“Of course not Mama.” Maya replied with a teasing roll of her eyes. “Mama, this is my co-star Taylor Cruz. She will be playing She-Ra. Taylor this is my mom, Gabriella.”

Taylor stepped forward, hunching half-way through the passenger seat to offer Maya’s mom a hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Sanchez.”

She could sense Maya’s mother analyzing her, her eyes were sharp just like her daughter. The critical scrutiny must’ve ran in the Sanchez family. Taylor sweated under her gaze, knowing she looked out of place with her multiple piercings. Never had she been so nervous meeting a mother before. After a moment that felt like forever Maya’s mother clasped her hand in a firm handshake. “It’s Gabriella, my dear but aren’t you a sweetheart. Do you need a ride home Taylor?”

It was then Taylor remembered her beat-up car sitting uselessly on the side street back home. She had been so caught up with the events of the day she had forgotten to call for an Uber. The ride home was probably going to eat a good chunk of her savings too. “I took an Uber this morning. I just need to track one down–"

“Oh that won’t do! Take a seat Taylor we can drop you off home.”

“Mrs. Cruz, I mean Gabriella,” Taylor corrected when the older woman shot her a look. “I appreciate the offer but –”

Maya laughed, cutting Taylor off again. “It’ll save us some time if you just give up now and get in the car. My mom won’t take no for an answer. It’s in our culture. It’s best if you don’t offend my mother by saying no to her hospitality.”

“Of course not!” Taylor stuttered, unable to wrap her head around what was happening. She was used to fending for herself and none of her co-stars had ever cared if she made it home or not before, let alone her mother when she had been her manager. “Thank you for offering. I guess I’ll take you up on it. But I can help pay for the gas? I’m just a little out of LA, it’ll be a drive.”

“Nonsense my dear. It’ll be nice getting to know one of Maya’s new friends.”

She stared helplessly at Maya who shrugged and motioned to the car. “Come on Cruz. Let’s get you home.”

The ride was a only a little bit awkward. Fortunately Gabriella was able to fill in the silence with questions about the day, sounding just as enthusiastic as if she was starring the show also. Taylor had sat mostly in silence, answering questions only when Gabriella had attempted to pull her into the conversation but the older Sanchez had quickly learned that Taylor was more content with just listening in. Taylor was leaning her head against the glass window, watching the city skyline pass by and thinking about the day and what was to come. Things were finally looking up. Her co-stars were pretty cool and friendly, the production team was proud of the show they were making and she was on friendlier terms with Maya. They weren’t buddy-buddy but at least she was able to clear the air. Maybe they would never be friends but they both knew that they were good for the show and Taylor couldn’t wait to get started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Maya can't dance.


End file.
